It was only three seasons ago when the Kansas City Royals won 95 games and their second World Series title. Their core of Alex Gordon, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, and Salvador Perez was able to bring the World Series trophy back to Kansas City for the first time since 1985. Their five-game series win against the Mets is now entrenched in Kansas City baseball history, and the aforementioned core players became folk heroes.
Clutch hitting defined this Royals team. They were a team that could be counted on to hit fastballs over 95 miles an hour late in ballgames and raise their performance in high-leverage situations.